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The Cosmology of Meetings

By Jon Miller - August 24th, 2015

After a particularly interminable session of the Roman Senate, the emperor Marcus Aurelius is said to have observed, “He who does not know what the meeting is does not know where he is, and he who does not know for what purpose t

Aerofit Fittings - Courtesy of Aerofit.com

AeroFit’s Factory Improvement Team

By Steve Kane - August 21st, 2015

Chris Ferrier, Manufacturing Engineer with AeroFit, was challenged to increase production on a manufacturing line by one part per hour. While this might sound easy, making it happen isn’t. AeroFit makes fluid fittings for aer

Knowledge of Work is Key to Better Knowledge Work

By Jon Miller - August 17th, 2015

One of the questions and concerns most often raised by people in position to lead continuous improvement efforts in their organizations is, “Where will I find the time?” It is rarely the case that this person has a full tim

Owning Numerical Ignorance

By Kevin Meyer - August 14th, 2015

Earlier this year I discussed the value created by writing by hand. By writing on whiteboards or scribbling in a notebook, ownership, learning, and understanding is created. Similarly, truly understanding numbers creates ownership,

Fun With Measurement Systems Analysis – Part 2

By Ron Pereira - August 12th, 2015

Welcome back to the second, and final, part of this measurement systems analysis series. If you didn’t read part 1 of this series please do before pressing on with this part. We’ll wait on you! Measurement System Analy

Respect for Humanity… of Your Boss

By Jon Miller - August 10th, 2015

The notion of “respect for people” is widely recognized as an essential pillar of lean management. It stands out among lean principles by being the most important yet least clearly defined. As such, it is most often at the

Fun With Measurement Systems Analysis – Part 1

By Ron Pereira - August 7th, 2015

Over the years I’ve been fortunate to visit many different companies across the world. During these visits, I’ve seen some amazing examples of continuous improvement in action. But, to be blunt, there is one aspect of con

Lean for Social Good

By Jessica Bush - July 31st, 2015

For most of us, the desire to improve and to be respectful of others is inherent. Many people practice some rudimentary form of lean without even realizing it. Those familiar with lean typically think first of manufacturing, and fo

Jidoka, Self-awareness and the Value of a Lean Coach

By Jon Miller - July 26th, 2015

How do you feel? It’s a simple question that isn’t always easy for some of us to answer without a reference standard. Not too long ago, I didn’t always recognize exactly how I felt. This has changed now, thanks to my tran

The Whole Problem of End-to-End Productivity

By Jon Miller - July 20th, 2015

As the adage attributed to management guru Peter Drucker goes, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” Well, you might be able to improve it by chance or by heroic effort, but not in a sustainable way.

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